A Place Where I Don't Belong
by Chronoha
Summary: An alternate universe where Chrono was the one to be possessed by Gyze. He has lost everyone and everything, there's nothing left. That was until he is transported to a place he doesn't exist.
1. Chapter 1

Chrono did it. He finally defeated Gyze.

But it was all to late. The damage was already done.

Everything was gone. Everything he owned, all the places he been to, the people that he loved, what little family he had left, all gone. And it is all his fault.

All that is left is a pitch black void, devoid of any light. He didn't know how he was still standing, nor how he was able to perfectly see himself in this pitch-black inky darkness. But none of that mattered. Nothing mattered anymore, because there was nothing physically left other than him. All that is left is the memories of the people he cared about and the happy moments they had with each other, which is now overshadowed by their demise when they were turned into nothingness.

Every single one of them.

He couldn't take it anymore, why did it have to turn out this way? Why did they had to suffer like this? Why did he had to be born? Tears streamed down his face from his frustration, of not being able to do anything.

He looked in front of him and he saw a card in front of him. His anger rose as he instantly knew what it was. His hand shook as he slowly reached for the card and once it was in his grasp, he crushed it. He ripped Gyze's card piece by piece, screaming in anger, until the pieces were to small to rip anymore. It wasn't enough, it was meaningless. Nothing he did to the card would bring them back. There was nothing else to do, but die in this void of nothingness, not that he cared.

Suddenly he could hear crackling like lightning coming from every direction around him. It felt as if the universe was crumbling around him. The sound was coming closer and closer like an incoming storm, to the point where it was deafening. Then it was gone. He was wondering what that was until an explosion of light and colors appeared. He was falling towards it and as he fell, he saw the stars and the cosmos around.

The light slowly consumed him until he couldn't feel any of his senses. He did not know what was happening, and left it to fate to would happen to him. Slowly, but surely, his senses came back to him.

First was smell. He smell blood, most likely his blood. There was another smell that reminded him of rain. Second was taste, he tasted iron his mouth. The type of taste that reminded him of elementary when he was getting into fights, usually with older kids. Then his touch came back. It was cold, but most of all it hurt all over. It felt as if he was laying down as raindrops were falling onto him. He try to get up, but he collapsed back down as the pain was too much. His head hurt and he was dizzy, he for sure hit his head somehow. He tried again only to by pushed back down by someone else's hand. It was a small, slender hand. His heart rate rose.

'_No… No one should be alive.'_

Stubbornly, he attempted to get up again, but, again he was pushed back down with both hands this time. His hearing was slowly coming back to him. He was able to hear two distinct voices.

"Can you hear me?! Stay with us!"

"Stay down, we'll get you to a hospital soon!"

His eyes began to sting. Those voice were all to familiar to him.

'_I must be losing my mind, they're all gone.'_

Finally his eyesight came back. Everything was sideways. He bright lights, colors, but mostly red. He saw the sidewalk he was on and the puddle he was in, he saw buildings, billboards, trees and the rain drops. His eyes finally landed on the two owners of the voices he heard earlier.

They were so familiar, but it couldn't be them. He wanted to cry and wanted back into the void. This was all too cruel of a punishment for him. His vision is going black. Before going unconscious, he used all the strength he hard left to utter his precious friends' names.

"Tokoha… Shion…"

Once again, everything was turned black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi there, sorry it took so long, lots of things happening recently. I did reference to an anime I hope you catch. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It was storming outside when he woke up. Laying down, he looked over to see the rain pound on the window. He was covered in bandages on most of his body and a IV needle connected to his wrist. The room looked mostly white and it had that smell that reminds him of being inside a clinic.

_'I must be at the hospital,'_ he thought. He quickly examined himself and thankfully saw that nothing was broken, the pain still there though.

He slowly sat up, ignoring all the pain from his injuries. He could hardly believe any of this was real. Only moments ago, he was in a place devoid of anything, now he is in a warm bed and the world continuing existing as if Gyze never erased it. It's so surreal.

He pinched himself. "Ouch!" So maybe he is not dreaming.

But the most concerning thing was what he saw before he blackout. It was them, Shion and Tokoha. He saw them. That can't be true, they're gone, but they looked so real. Then again, is any of this real? He can he know? Maybe none of this is real and he is still in that dark void. The thought of still being inside that void fills him with despair.

"I must be losing my mind!" His paranoia starts to kick in. It getting harder for him to breath as the air around him starts to feel ice cold.

"I don't want to go back…"

He hears someone door the door, he immediately tried to compose himself has that person comes into the room. The man looked old and bald with a frog like face. He wears a white doctor's coat and looks like he would be a bit shorter than Chrono.

"How are you feeling?" the man asks with a smile on his face.

"Huh?" He felt a bit caught off guard.

"Your injuries, how are they? Or in general, or both, take your pick."

"Oh um, I'm fine..."

"Fine? I thought for someone with your injuries, you'd be complaining more."

"Um, sorry?"

The man chuckled. "Nothing to be sorry about, be glad that you didn't break anything. That doesn't mean you didn't need stitches, so please that it easy."

"Right, thank you."

"No need to thank me, I'm just doing my job. If there weren't people like you, I'd be out of one."

Chrono laughed a bit, something he felt he didn't do in a long time. The man paused looking at the papers that he had before he continued.

"By the way, I would like your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes, don't tell me you hit your head a too hard."

Chrono felt a little embarrassed for not answering a simple question. "N-no, it's Chrono Shindou."

The man raised his brow. "Chrono huh, what an odd name."

"Yeah, I guessed it is. My mother gave me my name."

"Speaking of that, do you have any family or guardians we can speak to?"

A strong wave of sadness hit Chrono as he looked away. "No, I don't have anyone."

The doctor understandably nodded, "it's fine, I won't ask any further, I'll leave you to get so rest. I'll get someone to fetch you something to eat as well, you seem a bit malnourished."

Chrono nodded, "thanks doc."

"Don't mention it," he smiled. He was about to reach for the door handle til Chrono voice caught him.

"Wait!"

The man turns around. "Yes? You have a question?"

"Yeah, what's today?"

"The date?" the doctor looked up as he tried to remember. "I believe today is May 19th."

"May 19th…" He couldn't believe it was that long. '_It's been only three months since Gyze took control.'_

"Is that all?"

"Yeah that's all…"

"I see, I'll be on my way then." He was about to leave when the door suddenly opened. Standing in the doorway was a brown hair, scruffy looking man, probably in his late twenties, with a tan trench coat. His eyes were focused solely on Chrono when he entered the room.

"Hello detective Kogami, what brings you here?" the doctor asks.

Chrono quickly perked up. '_Detective?' _

"I'm here to asks the patient a few questions," Kogami said as he made his way to Chrono. The doctor followed suit.

"Can this wait? The young man has barely woken up." He was clearly irritated that someone has come to bother his patient.

"It will only take a few minutes."

The doctor was about to oppose, but then thought otherwise. "Fine, I know you'll be too stubborn to leave until you get what you want."

"Thank you," he said as he made his way towards Chrono's bed. The detective choose to stand rather than sit even though there was a chair next to him.

"I am Detective Kogami, I take that you are Chrono Shindou. I've been informed you had quite a fall."

Chrono was caught off guard, "Hi... How did you know my name?"

"I took a look at your IDs in your wallet."

_'Oh.'_

"I was in charge of looking for any of your parents and/or guardians while you were unconscious, but I couldn't turn up anything."

"I don't think you-"

"I wasn't finished." Kogami looked at him with piercing eyes. Chrono couldn't help, but feel nervous. "When I called your school, they had no record of anyone under your name, nor anyone in the apartment your personal ID had for that matter. I'm also betting that there is no mention of you in the Japanese database. So let me ask you, who are you really?"

Chrono didn't know what else to say. Neither his school nor the place he was living in have no record of him. It's almost everything on him was erased.

The doctor firmly put his hand on the detective. "Kogami, maybe you shouldn't be intimidating him right now."

"Doc please, I know what I'm doing." Ignoring the doc's protests, he once again turned his attention to Chrono. "I'll ask again, who are you?"

He was put into a tight spot. He didn't have a response to give to the detective. Suddenly there's no record of him and he say what exactly? Maybe this is just one big understanding, there's no way this could just happen. He was going to speak until he saw a silhouette of a woman in the glass window on the door.

"Kogami, is it okay to come in?" The woman asks.

The voice was familiar to Chrono. He was sure he heard it several times before, but he can't put his finger on it.

The detective looked surprised. "Oh, yes of course, I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"Just how many surprise visitors are gonna come in today…?" the doctor retorted.

Chrono's eyes widened when the women stepped into the room. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he stared at the women in front of him. The woman who he only saw in pictures and videos. He was beginning to doubt that any of this is real.

'There's no way this could be happening…'

The women standing alive and well was Tokimi Shindou, his mother.


	3. Chapter 3

**This was longer than what I originally wanted, I kept writing and thus this was the result. Also I'll try to get another chapter soon, no promises.**

* * *

Everything felt like a dream at that moment. He felt light headed, his body was barely responsive. His mother was standing right in front of him, so full of life, the way he envisioned it in his fantasies over and over again. But there's no way that can be, she was gone. He must be dreaming, a delusion in his own personal hell. No, it still felt all too real to be a dream.

His mother Tokimi stared at Chrono in awe, studying his features. The thing that stood out the most about him was of course his swirly hair. The exact same style of hair that she has, no matter how many times she used her comb to try and change it. There was still something about his face as well, something so familiar about it that she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Um, hi?" She waved at the curly hair boy, Chrono though didn't wave back. All he could do was stare at his supposedly long deceased mother who died giving birth to him.

"Detective, what's going on here?" asked the doctor.

"I'm not sure really, that's something that I'd like to know too," he said

The mother continued. "My name is Tokimi Shindou, what's yours?"

There was a pause before he snapped out of his trance. "Chrono Shindou…" he responded weakly.

She taken aback. 'Shindou? So he has the same surname?' she thought. "And why does his name so similar to my daughter's?'

"Oh really? What an odd name…"

_'You gave it you me.'_ he thought, he decided to stay silent.

"...You look beaten up pretty badly, I hope you're parents won't get too mad." She didn't really know at this point what else to say, but she wanted to know who this mysterious young man was. Her attempts failed however as he was keeping silent. She feared that she somehow upset him.

Seeing as the boy was staying silent, Kogami decided to press Chrono with questions himself. "I found this in your wallet." He took out an old worn out photo of Chrono's mother and father in a restaurant. Chrono in his mind panicked once he saw it. "Please explain to me why are you using the Shindou surname, how did you get this photo, and what's your connection to Miss Shindou?"

He glare pierced Chrono, the curly hair boy unable to respond. What would he say? He doesn't know what is going anymore, he doesn't know what to think! All of a sudden he is now in this unknown world, his dead mother appears and now he's being bombarded with all these questions. How would they react if he told the truth? There's no way they would believe him!

Before Chrono could responds, Tokimi swiftly snatches the photo from Kogami's hands. She examined the photo front and back as she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "There's no way…"

"Miss? What's wrong?" The detective asks.

She stares at the photo for a moment before she decides to do something that might possibly be stupid. Her husband might get pissed at her. "Doctor, does the boy have anywhere to stay?"

"Hm?" the doctor was caught off guard by the question. "From what I can tell, not at the moment."

"I see. So is it okay if I can take him home with me?"

The detective eyes bulged. ""What?!"

"Hmm, he is well enough to be checked out of the hospital…" doc pondered as he rubbed his chin, "so it's fine if he agrees."

He turned around to Chrono. "So are you okay staying with her?"

Chrono looks down to his hands. To be able to spend time with his mother would be a dream come to for him. The stories that his dad and aunt told about her wasn't enough. This could be his only chance to do so. But what would he say to her? She is his mother and that she was dead for years until now? Despite his fears, he still wants to go with. "Its fine, I'll go."

Tokimi was joyful at his response, Kogami thought otherwise. "Can I talk with you for a bit?" He said as he pulled her outside the room while Chrono and the doctor looked at each other in confusion.

Once they were outside, he turned to glare at her. "What are you thinking?!"

Tokimi looked visibly confused. "What?"

"You don't know anything about that boy and yet you invited him into your home!"

"Come on, the boy had nowhere to go. Where else would he be able to stay?"

Kogami was exasperated. "When I called you in, I just wanted you to just talk to him, not make him stay in your home…"

She sighed, putting she hand on his shoulder. "Look. I know you're just worried for Rive and I, but believe me, I know what I'm doing."

"...Fine, fine. But I still haven't gotten any info out of him."

"Don't worry, I'll talk to him," she replies as she opens the door and goes back into the room.

Kogami, seeing as he wasn't really needed anymore, he turns to leave. "I guess I'll just get something to eat before the mountain of paperwork I'll need to do…"

Back in the room, Tokimi cheerfully walks into the room. "Okay so are we ready to go?"

Chrono curiously looks behind her, but sees no sign of the detective. "What happened to the other guy?"

"Hm?" she turns to inspect, "I don't know, he probably just left."

"Oh."

Seeing how sulking he was being, she decided to try and cheer him up. She walks up to his bed and quickly flicks his nose, earning a slight blush on his face.

"You didn't answer my question silly," she laughs.

"What?"

"I said are we ready to go?"

Chrono's confusion dissipates and a smile slowly forms on his face.

"Yeah I am."

The doctor smiles at the two. "I see that I won't have to worry about those two." Chrono starts climbing out of his bed, making the doc worry about his injuries.

"Hey, slowly there," he said as he tried to help him, "remember you still have some stitches, I don't want to make you into a pin cushion redoing those again."

Chrono groaned in pain trying to stand up. Getting a better look at his body, he was covered in bandages and bruises. He also noticed that his body felt weak and his body was trembling. "Ugh, how long have I been out?"

"For about two days," the frog-face doctor responded.

"Two days?!" He shouted in shock.

"That reminds, you should really get something to eat right now," he said as he patted Chrono's back. "All we need is for a for papers to be signed and you should be good to go."

"Thanks doc."

"It's no problem at all."

As they walked down the hallway of the hospital, Chrono couldn't help but feel an uneasiness. He glances to his side, his mother walking beside him. How will his new life turn out.

The drive to his mother's home was a quiet, but not before a hectic string of bad luck. The moment he entered a room, a can rolled right in front of him and ended up slipping on it, slamming his head on the floor (miraculously not breaking open his head. Then in the cafeteria, his hand slipped when carrying a bowl of soup and spilled it all over him. Then when entering the car, he bumped his head on the doorway. Such bad luck.

Now with just the two of them in this tiny car, they didn't really know what to talk about to each other. When they left the hospital, the doctor gave him some painkillers (which did help a lot) and informed him that he needed to come by every so often to check on his stitches. The hospital was able to provide him with some clean clothes since the last ones he had was extremely tattered, not that he wanted the trench coat anyways. Now that he thinks about it, Chrono never got the doc's name. Oh well, frog-face would have to do for now.

"Well, here's our stop," she said as she was getting out of the car.

They soon arrived at the Tokimi's place. It was a brown, two-story modern looking house and looks rather nice actually.

_'Is this really where I'm going to be staying at?'_ Chrono thought. He hasn't lived in one ever since his dad faked his death and the place was taken away from them.

He got of the car feeling anxious about entering in what might actually potentially be his new home (once again bumping his head once again bumping his head on the doorway). He began following his mother, taking in his surroundings until he got a glimpse of something. A girl with green hair. He did a double take but, no one was there. Hm, maybe he was just imagining it.

"I hope you like our home," she conversed. "We have a spare room upstairs though we'd have to take out a lot of stuff since we were using it more as a storage place." When they arrived at the door, they heard loud footsteps coming from inside the house quickly getting nearer and nearer. "Maybe this is a good time to say that I have a daughter."

"A daughter?" He replied.

At that moment, someone opened the door. "Welcome back, mom. What are se having for dinn- Wait, who's this guy?" The person reveal was a young girl who a lot like Chrono. She had wild, curly red hair as he did, but was long enough to be tied it up in a puffy ponytail. She had the signature swirl like him and his mom, but unlike them, her end of the swirl curved down to her shoulders. She wears a red and white baseball T-shirt with black shorts. She had grayish-silver eyes like her mother and she was short, almost reaching Chrono's shoulders. If he had to guess, she would probably be two or three years younger than him.

"Chrona, this Chrono," Tokimi replied. "He'll be staying with us for now. Chrono, this is Chrona, my daughter."

_'Daughter? Does this mean she's my sister?'_ Today just keeps getting more and more unbelievable to Chrono. "Um hi," he greeted her.

"Hello…" Chrona stares at the strange boy with bandages all over his body. He looked so much like her mother and had a face that was kind of similar to her dad as well. is this some family member she didn't know about? Before she could ask, the other two had entered into the house.

"I'll start on making dinner so you wouldn't mind cleaning up the guest room upstairs, wouldn't you?" Tokimi continued.

"Yeah, but seriously WHO is this guy?"

"He's a…" she looks onto Chrono, "I don't really know. He's a mystery."

Chrona deadpanned. "Why would invite him if you don't know him?"

"I... just wanted a chance to get to know him."

Chrona stare at her mother with judgemental eyes, but just decided to go along with whatever her mom was planning. "Fine, I'll just go fix up that room for him."

"Thank you, I'll have dinner ready soon."

"Yeah sure." She looks back to Chrono, still unsure about him.

"I'll be busy in the kitchen so make yourself at home," Tokimi said to Chrono as she exited the room.

With Chrono by himself, he began exploring the house. It was rather big house, for him at least. He went room by room, carefully avoiding the kitchen. Minutes has passed and he eventually got bored, trying to think of something to do. He sees the TV in the living room, but he's too afraid to touch the remote. Maybe he could help his sister at the very least. But once he was going to help, he sees her quickly walking down the stairs, go into the kitchen, and then runs back up the stairs. She sees him as well, but quickly disappears back into the next floor.

"She avoiding me…" Looks like getting to know is off the table. Though, there is still one more thing he could do.

He walks into the kitchen while his mother preparing dinner. Chrono carefully walks up to her, his mother completely unknowing of his presence.

"Hey miss?" Tokimi jumps in surprise from being absorbed in her work. "Sorry! I just wanted to see if you wanted help."

She calms down seeing it was Chrono. "No it's fine. You don't need to force yourself."

"Well you are letting stay here so I've gotta do something. Also…" he runs the back of his neck. "I'm pretty bored."

She shook her head while laughing. "Alright, you can help me cut the vegetables while I cook."

He got to work, expertly and quickly cutting as Tokimi watches him. "Wow, you actually know your stuff. If Chrona even tried to do this, she'd cut up all her fingers."

He laughs at the thought. "This isn't much really, I learned how to more or less take care of myself."

"Oh really? Were your parents around?"

Chrono gets a somber look in his eyes. "No, my parents weren't around much when I was growing up." If only she knew.

"I see…" She paused for a bit, debating what she should say next. "Chrono, where did you come from?"

He stayed silent. He wanted so badly to tell her she is his mother, the person he wanted to meet the most. But…

"You know I'll believe you, no matter how ridiculous."

"Eh? What are you talking about?"

Tokimi takes out a piece of paper from her pocket and presents it to Chrono. He curiously grabs the paper and unfolds it. A wave of dread pulses through his body as he recognizes it. It was the picture of his parents at a restaurant.

_'Wasn't this given back to me?'_ He remembers. He takes out his wallet and pulls out the very same picture as the one she has, even matching some of the stains in the back of the pictures.

"You know that picture is one of a kind,'' she continues, "that picture was taken on the day I told my husband that I was pregnant. It was the first time I got pregnant, about 16 years ago. Of course my husband was thrilled at the news and we were excited and ready to become parents. Someone came by to take our picture at that moment."

Chrono listens patiently, eating up every word she says. This was the very first time he ever heard the story behind the picture that he carries with him every day.

"...Something unfortunate happened a few weeks later though. I was having stomach pains and I got worried. I went to the doctor and when he examined me, he told me that I miscarried…" She clenches her hands at the memory while Chono could only stand in horror, knowing exactly who the child was.

"That feeling of being told that never went away, even after having Chrona…" She catches and quickly tries to correct herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that!… I just wanted to say that the picture is one of a kind, for you to show up with another copy means something unbelievable, right? So anything you say, I'll believe you."

"..."

"Chrono?"

"...Your my mother."

"What?" She said in shock.

He looks into her eyes with a serious gaze. "I come from another world. I don't know how or what exactly is going on, but in that world, you're my mother."

"...So you're my son?" she mumbled, trying to digest what he had told her. She noticing how old he was. "The same one that I lost?"

"Probably."

She stares at the curly hair boy before pulling him in for a hug. Chrono instinctively almost pulls away from her until he noticed her smiling.

"Thank goodness!" she cries. "I'm so glad you're here."

Chrono was speechless. "Do you actually believe me?"

"Of course I do," she replied. "Besides, you do like a lot like your father now that I think about it."

"Is that so?" He flustered."Mis- Mom, I'm really happy to finally- Oi! Behind you!"

"Eh? What's wrong" She looked behind to find the pot boiling over. "Oh god!" She hastily turns off the stove. "Heh, I almost ruined dinner there."

Chrono sighs at his mother's clumsiness. She seems so genuine and nice though. Is this really how his mother was like?

Chrona enters the room and sees the mess on the stove, but ignores it. "Hey mom, I've finished fixing the guest room. When is dinner almost ready?"

"Yeah, it won't take long. Especially now with Chrono here helping me." She patted his back proudly.

Chrona eyes the redhead boy before going off into the next room. "Yeah, yeah. Call me when it's done."

He stares at her as she leaves the room. 'She's rather… serious,' Chrono thought. Is it that she doesn't like him? "Is she always like this?" Chrono tell his mother.

"Well yes, she has always been pretty serious and quiet girl," she responded. "If you're so worried of her not liking you, she acts that way towards most other people."

"I see." Even if she doesn't now, he hopes he can get along with her.

The evening went well for the three… mostly. They eat dinner together, Tokimi chatting about their lives while Chrona stayed generally quiet as if lost in thought. One thing that still was bothering Chrono was the fact that his dad wasn't to be seen. As it turns out his dad, Rive, was out on business and wouldn't come back in a few days, which honestly in Chrono opinion would be easier on him not having to explain his story to one more person.

After dinner, they decided to go off to bed. Chrona guided him to his new room which looked to be almost twice the size of his old room. The room barren besides some essentials, a desk, a lamp, and a bed. It still has some boxes filled with junk in the room, but not that he minded.

The first thing he thought now having a room for himself was go take a shower though he had to be careful because his injuries. He hadn't bathed in so long that he was aching for one. Wait, now that he thinks about, he was pretty clean was he woke up from the hospital. Maybe one the nurses there… No, he probably shouldn't question it.

As it turns out, all the hot water was used up, so he had to take the shower in cold water. Such bad luck.

He got a look in the mirror after the shower. His eyes no longer had the amber tint. His face hadn't changed much within the last few months, though his hair looked much longer. He felt uncomfortable seeing his hair like this so he attempted to bundle the back of his hair into a small ponytail. "Now I like Kamui..." He decided not to.

He quickly changes into the spare clothes that his mother has given him to go to bed. He picks up his dirty clothes off the floor and finds that he had left his deck in his pocket. He looks at it in disdain and shoves the deck into the drawer of his desk when he heard a knock on the door. His mother was standing at the doorway.

"How do you like the room?" She asks.

Chrono sits down onto his bed. "Yeah feels pretty cozy actually."

"That's good to hear. I was worrying you were feeling uncomfortable." She enters the room, looking around to see if Chrona did a good job.

There was one thing that kept bugging her though, ever since she knew the truth about The swirly hair boy. "I've been meaning to ask, how did you come here? To our world?"

"I'm not really sure," he tells her. "I was in my world and before I knew it, I was here."

"Really? Your loved ones must be looking all over for you," she worried. "If that's the case then you can stay with us for now. We'll help you any way we can to get you home, you can count on it."

A lump formed in Chrono's throat. "Thank you, I really appreciate it," he smiles

Tokimi nods. "You're welcome. Now you should go to sleep, there are some things to do tomorrow."

"Right, goodnight."

"Goodnight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

Right when she leaves the room. Chrono's smiles disappears. He let the rest of his body crash onto his bed, completely exhausted from that conversation.

"A burden once again." He looks up to his window, looking up to the night sky and seeing moonlight shine into the warm and cozy room. It is a great contrast to that void he was in. It only made him feel guilty. Why should he so comfortable? To be able to meet his mother and his sister and live in this comfortable house when he was the sole purpose of the destruction of his world. Everyone is gone because of him. His family, his friends, every living being on the planet. And he had to lie about it his own mother's face.

An image flashed in his mind when his came to this world. The image of Shion of Tokoha with such distressed faces. They must be in this world too, they're not dead here. What are they up to? Where are they now?

That thought lingered in his mind as his eyes grew heavier and he drifted off into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_He's there again. Inside that patch black darkness devoid of any light or warmth. He frantically runs, looking for anyone or anything. But there's absolutely nothing._

_"Hey! Is anyone there?! Anyone?!" Chrono cries._

_**"Why did you do this to us?"** A voice tells him._

_He stops turns behind him, but no ones there._

_**"Why do you have to be such a burden all the time?"** He looks around to look for that voice, but once again, no ones there._

_More and more voice joins in and the images of familiar people surrounds him._

_**"You did this."**_

_**"What a joke."**_

_**"How can you live with yourself?"**_

_Chrono clenches his head, desperately trying to block out those voices. __"Shut up already! Leave me alone!" He screams._

_**"Leave you alone? After what you did?"**_

_**"You don't get that privilege."**_

_**"You'll never live it down."**_

_The floor underneath him turns into a pitch gloomy and he starts to sink into it like quicksand._

_'No! Not again!' _

_He frantically attempts to pull himself out, but its no use. All he can do now is wait for the inevitable._

* * *

*Slam*

Chrono finds him on the floor, hanging off the side of his bed. There was an aching pain on the top of his head as he the desk.. He looks up at the moment his lamp is tipping over.

*Smack*

Such bad luck.

He groggily stands up, his body still aching in pain from his injuries. He quickly washes his face and changes into some spare clothes Tokimi gave though they were a bit too big as they belonged to his dad when he was younger. He'll have to take care of that soon.

He walks down stairs and enters the dining room to see his mother in the kitchen and his sister Chrona on her phone texting someone.

"Good morning," he tells them.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning…" Chrona responded uninterested. Chrono however ignores it, figuring that it'll be just how it is with her.

He sees her so focused on her phone, smiling at a new text she got.

"So Chrona," he said, "texting you boyfriend?" He could hear his mother laughing in the kitchen while his sister gave him a furious look.

"W-what?! No!" She blushed. "I don't have a boyfriend and that's none of you business!" He laughed at his sister. She eventually calmed down and turned her attention back to her phone.

"How did you sleep last night?" Tokimi asks to Chrono.

His mind drifts to the restless nightmare he had. "I slept well, the bed was comfortable."

"Ah good. I'm glad you sleep comfortably. By the way, you really need to buy some things if you're going to stay here."

He rubs the back of his head. "Yeah, the clothes you gave me is a bit too big."

"Sorry about that," she giggled. "I was going to have Chrona take you to the mall today."

"What?!" Chrona yelled. "No way! I was going out with my friends today!"

"Then take him to meet your friends. They're around his age, and he needs some friends."

"...Tch fine." Chona brooded. She sends a glare to the curly hair boy which he in turn smiles nervously.

After breakfast, the two redhead teens left to go to the mall. The two walk beside each other side by side, neither attempting to converse to each other. Chrono really to want to talk with her since she is his sister (kinda). Chrona however looked as if she didn't really care for his existence.

"So Chrona…" he began, "do you have any… hobbies?"

Her eyes drifted to redhead. "I like playing cardfight."

"Really?"

"What? You sound as if you don't believe me."

No, no… Well you do seem like a wet blanket."

He smiled nervously as Chrona once again glared at him.

'Great Chrono, pish off the person you're trying to get to know.'

He was thinking of ways to calm his sister when she spoke up. "So do you play it?"

"Eh? Play what?"

"Vanguard stupid."

"Oh." The deck in his play pocket suddenly felt heavier. "Yeah I do."

"I see. What clan do you play?"

"Gear Chronicle."

"Oh, that's the same clan I use."

"You use it too?"

"Yeah, for several years now."

'Years?' He thought. It's been released for about a year now. At least in his world. "Huh. It is a fun clan to play."

"Yeah."

They walked in silence for several minutes as Chrono contemplates telling her the truth about him. His mother already knows, why not her?

"Chrona listen, the truth is that I-"

"I already know."

He looked at her in confusion until it clicked. "Wait, so you mean that…"

"Yes, I know you're from another world," she confirmed.

He grew more confused. "How did you even know that?"

"Easy," she answered, "I overheard you and mom."

"Ah." How did he not notice. "So what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the whole 'me from another world.'"

"Hmm, nothing. If mom completely believes it then it should be true. We'll keep doing what we left home to do. What comes next, happens."

Chrono stared at her. She still seems as uninterested as ever, and for some reason it kinda pissed him off. Not really the cute little sister he had in mind.

Some time has past until the two had arrived at the mall. It's the same one Chrono had went to multiple times before and looked the same it's always been, minus a few different ads and stores. They quietly waited outside for Chrona's friends, sitting on the bench in front and watching as people walk by. The topic of Chrono's past has not come up again.

Chrona's friends were late and Chrona's was constantly looking on her phone for updates. She finally had enough and got up from her seat.

"Ugh, they're taking too long. I'm gonna and look for them, you stay here." She ran off annoyed and disappeared into the crowd.

Chrono was now left by his lonesome. He was pretty bored at this point and he didn't have a phone to at least entertain him. He looked around to see if there was something interesting until his eyes landing on a poster taped to the light pole next to him. It was a poster for the bakery he used to buy croquettes from. He smiled fondly remembering the day him and Tokoha fought over those damn things while Kumi was trying to calm the both of us down. They later became incredible friends to him. They were such sweet, fun loving people that always had his back and tried to be there for him. How Tokoha would always send him messages and gifts while she was in Paris, or how Kumi would check on him everyday during high school to keep him from being lonely. They were truly irreplaceable friends that he was so lucky to have.

But they're gone now.

He attempted not to remember that day everything went down the drain, not to remember their final moments as he was physically repulsed of the memory. He eventually calmed down, putting his head back as he tried to relax on the bench.

"E-excuse me," a female voice called out.

The voice pulled Chrono out of his thoughts. He turns to the girl when his stomach dropped.

"You by any chance with Chrona?"

Tokoha was standing beside him, her head tilting the side and her smile beaming while Kumi's face curiously popped up from behind her. Chrono quickly straightened up, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Yeah, I'm with her," he replied, "she got tired of waiting and went off looking for you two."

"Oh really? Even when I told her I was about to arrive." Her eyes dart around, looking for the curly haired girl. Failing to see her, Tokoha's eyes once again land on Chrono. "Oh I tell you, my name is Tokoha and the girl behind me is my friend Kumi," she pointed at her.

"Hello!~" Kumi waves, cheerfully greeting him as the boy waves back.

It was off putting to the swirly hair boy seeing these two, how they looked back at him. Their eyes had no familiarity to them, as if staring at a complete stranger, as if the years before never actually happened.

He awkwardly smiles at the two. "I'm Chrono, I'm staying with Chrona's family right now."

"Hm, not surprising," Tokoha said as she looks up to his swirl.

"Are related to her in some way?" Kumi asks.

Chrono panicked as he realized that he didn't think this ahead. He never thought he'd meet them this like this. "Oh um kinda…" The two girls looked at him weirdly. "Its a complicated family… thing."

Tokoha looked unsatisfied. "Complicated how?"

"Um, VERY complicated?"

Tokoha looked as if she was about to ask again until Chrona appeared out of the crowd.

"Hey! There you are!" she yells.

Chrono sighs in relief. 'Oh thank god.'

She runs up to the group out of breath. "What took you two so long?!" Chrona scolded the girls.

"We're so sorry Chrona-chan! We lost track of time!" Kumi apologized.

She glares at the two girls, but just sighs. "Forget it, we've got work to do."

Kumi raises her hand in the air. "That's right! Chrono-kun's makeover!" she said gleefully.

Chono's eyes widen. "Eh?"

Tokoha looks over him. "Well you do look like a hobo."

"Hobo?!"

Chrona smirks. "Well let's get going, we've got a lot of work ahead of us."

"Yay!~" Kumi cheers as she follows her.

Chrono stays behind defeatedly as he looks at the two run off into the mall. Tokoha seeing this laughs and pats him on the back. "Don't worry so much, it'll be fun."

"It'Ll bE fUN," he repeats condescendingly as he followed the girls.

The first thing they agreed upon was for Chrono to get a haircut. Though he knew that he needed one, he still doesn't feel comfortable to actually get, especially if it's his curl. Sitting down in the salon chair made him incredibly uncomfortable and nervous. The barber seemed nice, but once she started hacking away, he wanted nothing more but to jump off the building. Once she started cutting shorting than what he asked, he gave up all hope.

'This is okay," he repeated over and over again in his mind. Once it was over, he walked outside to show off his new hair.

"Yay, don't look like a hippie anymore," Chrona mocked him.

"Well, it feels breezy," Chrono commented on his much shorter hair.

Kumi looked at him as cheery as always. "I think it looks good on you, what about you Tokoha? What do you think?"

"Oh yeah, it looks good," she answered dismissively.

He hummed as he was still on the fence on the style of his hair, but decided to just accept. It's not like he can change it.

"Well I think it's about time to go shopping," Chrono change topic, "I'm just about ready to get out of these clothes."

"Great cause I'm getting embarrassed just by standing next to you," Chrona sneered.

"I… won't blame you," he agreed as he looked over his baggy clothes.

They went to look through the stores, looking at all the selections until they found one that they liked. He would have been okay with pretty simple clothes, but to his protest, the girls decided otherwise.

Chrona had gone off to the other side of the store leaving the other three to their own devices. The group were looking the same sections. Two girls were making small talk between each other as he stayed silent listening to them, trying to stay out of conversation. Tokoha though was constantly looking over to the unsuspecting curly hair boy, until she was fed up with the silence from the boy.

"Hey, Chrono?"

"Hm?"

"You don't remember me do you?"

He looked at her with a curious look. "Should I?"

"I was one of that found you when you got injured."

"So you saw him before?" Kumi asks as Tokoha nodded in response.

An image of her flashes in his mind. "Right, I forgot. I think I remember seeing you Thanks, you really helped me out back there."

"No problem, I'm glad to see you out and about," she smiled. "But is it okay for you to be standing? You looked pretty beat up the last time I saw you."

"Oh it's fine, the doc said so."

"I see, that's good, I guess." She silently looked through the clothes before continuing. "How did you even get those injuries like that?"

"Yeah the right," Kumi said. "How did you hurt so much? You have so many bandages you look like a mummy."

"Oh." He panicked. "I fell?"

"You fell."

"Yes."

"In the middle of a park."

"Yes."

"With no high buildings or trees around."

"Yes… It was a pretty bad trip."

The two girls looked at him suspiciously while Chrona looked on from afar in the corner of her eye. Chrono sweating from the stress of the situation.

'What a weird boy,' they thought.

"Oh look, this shirt looks nice," he hastily tries to change the topic. The two girls just give up knowing they won't get anything out of him.

"Fine,"Tokoha sighed. "How about we go on and try some of these."

"Sure." He goes to the changing room to quickly change. When he comes out, he is wearing beige pants and a red shirt with a black jacket with white lining, the sleeves folded to be short. Combined with his bandages, his new haircut, and scary glare, he looked like a delinquent.

"Going for the bad boy look I see," Chrona surmised.

"Hm, it kinda fits him, though it really makes him look like a delinquent," Kumi chimed. Tokoha simply nodded.

"Bad boy? I just liked these clothes…" Chrono responded.

"Its fine," Tokoha consoled him, "come on, let's grab some more."

Chrono nods. "Yeah, sure. Just nothing too ridiculous."

"No promises."

Soon after, Tokoha eye caught something and she runs up to it. She picks up a white hat with pink floral design from the stand and tries it on.

She turns to the group. "So how do I look?"

"Yah! It looks great!" Kumi exclaims.

Chrono perks up. "Y- It looks cute." He notices his sister staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing," she responds. "Let's just grab some clothes and go, I'm really hungry."

"Oh, okay." He watches his sister go off to pick pick clothing for him, still acting seemingly uninterested about everything.

'Geez what's with her?'

* * *

After buying a stock of clothes (some that were a very questionable choice which Chrono had no power over), the group had gone off to the food court and ordered lunch. Tokoha and Kumi quickly finished their food before the other two and left to play on the claw machines. The curly hair siblings watched from afar as the two excitedly attempted to win the Wingal stuffed toy.

"Look like they're having fun," Chrona said while taking bites out of her hotdog.

Chrono swallowed the bite of his. "Yep."

"So did you know them, in that other world?"

"... I did. We were friends for a while," he forced out. It was so painful to say that. He looked over to this world version of Kumi and Tokoha, noting how they're both so similar to the ones he knew. Hell, they're wearing the same clothes. "How did you know?"

"Just a gut feeling I guess." She looked down at her hotdog. "What happened? It sounds like you aren't friends with them anymore."

Guilt washes over him. "Something happened and…" Chrono stared gloomily at the two girls. "...And I don't know if they'll ever forgive me."

"Oh." It was clear by now that this was a very painful topic for him. She decided to change topic. "Do want something else to eat?"

"Hm?" He was confused. "No, I'm good with just this. Plus I don't want to keep spending more of your money than I already have."

"You should, I heard from mom that you were malnourished. Maybe get something small. I'm kinda worried…"

'_Worried?' _He thought. She didn't even seem interested in anything, much less him. That's when he noticed he uncomfortable she really seemed. She really is attempting to socialize with him, but it seems like she's having a hard time doing so.

Suddenly it hits him. He gets flashbacks of when he was in middle school, how antisocial he was.

_'She was exactly like me.' _

He suddenly feels sympathy for her and knows how difficult it is to talk to new people.

"...Fine, I'll go order some fries. I'll get one for you too."

"Thanks…" She pauses to gather some courage for what she's about to say. "I don't know what you're going through or what's going on , but I'll be there for you however you can." Chrona nervously, but sincerely smiles.

Chrono is taken aback a bit, but smiles as well. "Thank you, I've got you back too. We are brother and sister after all."

'Brother…' It was so weird to hear it from someone who just appeared out of nowhere that barely even know. His words seem so sincere and honest, she could never deny them.

The two siblings smile at each other, a brand new friendship forming between the two. The moment was ruined though as Tokoha and Kumi cheered, running towards the siblings while Kumi lifted her stuffed Wingal in the air.

"We did it! It's so cute!" Kumi cheered. She brought it to his face while he awkwardly smiled.

"Oh it's so cute, good for you," he flatly said.

"Hehe, I know right," Kumi chimed.

"So what should we do know?" Tokoha asks, grabbing Chrono's attention.

"I don't know about you, but I'm gonna get some fries."

"No no, other than food."

"Oh," he thinks for a bit, "I'm not sure really, I'm good with whatever." Chrona looks hesitant. She wants to ask something of him, bit is too embarrassed. Chrono notices her struggling with something so he had to ask. "Chrona, what's wrong?"

"Nono, nothing's wrong! I'm-" she panics. "...I just thought I could cardfight against you, is all…" The other two girls gasped.

"You never told us you played vanguard!" Kumi exclaimed.

Chron isn't much surprised, she is a cardfight after all. Of course she'll want to play against him. He's not so sure of his abilities now, being so long of Gyze being inside his body, but she looks so determined so he can't back down now.

"Fine I'll take you on." Chrona looked more serious than ever. The group finds a cardfighting table inside the mall's card store far away from the rest of the people playing. They plot their decks down as Chrona looked determinedly at her opponent. Chrono on the other hand looks uncomfortable. This will be his first match against someone where he isn't being controlled. Tokoha looks on to him, curious to see what this new guy can do.

"So are you ready?" Chrona asks.

He looks to his deck, a pit forming in his stomach. He can't back down now.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

Tokimi is entering inside her house after she had failed what she had wanted to accomplish today. She wanted to apply Chrono to a school, but she can't since needed paper for him, "birth certificates, IDs, vaccine history, all that jazz. Turns out trying to produce is much harder than she thought having that he has no history in this world. Maybe Kogami can help her? She doubts though that he'll even believe her.

She opens the door and hears rustling. She looks down to find big envelope and goes to examine it. The folder is blank with no note or anything onto. She opens to see what's inside. Well she was until she felt a presence behind her. She turns to see Kogami and her husband Rive with a serious look.

"I've heard what happened, we need to talk."


	5. Chapter 5

It was my first time writing a cardfight. It was pretty difficult since I had to make up the cards from scratch, but I hope it's interesting!

* * *

There stood Chrono and Chrona, about to have their first fight together with Tokoha and Kumi on the side spectating. They were all excited to see what would come of this fight. All except one. Chrono looked down to his deck. Normally he'd feel excitement, curiosity, happiness, something! But something isn't right.

"Alright, let's start," she announces.

"Hm."

They both reached for their starter and flipped them over.

"Stand up my vanguard!"

"Stand up vanguard."

Their bodies now transported to Cray inside of a mysterious temple. It was the same one that Chrono first fought in.

"Little Steam Maiden, Kullasina! [G:0]" Out appeared Chrona with a steampunk blue dress and futuristic rifle.

"Chrono Dran Fall [G:0]." Chrono said monotonously. The once cheerful looking little blue dragon now is now jet black which a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Gear Chronicle? Who knew he'd be using the same clan as Chrona," Kumi remarked.

"Though, I don't think I've ever heard of Chrono Dran Fall before..." Tokoha pondered.

The two swirly haired siblings ignored the other two as they were just about to begin.

"I'll go first," Chrona began. "Draw, I ride Steam Maiden, Lasina-bel [G:1/ Pwr: 8000]." She changed into a maiden with a red dress and a mechanical hat. She has a chain with a buzz saw like blade at the end for a weapon. "Kullasina skill now activates. I bind one card from my hand and bind it, then I draw one card." She places a grade 2 to the bind zone.

'Already with the binding huh,' Chrono mused.

"Turn end."

"Then it's my turn, draw. Ride, Chronoethos, Jackal Cor. [G:1/ Pwr: 8000]" Jackal has now traded his staff for a deadly lance with glowing blue blades. "I move Dran back and call Armored Rewind Dragon [G:1/ Pwr: 8000]." He calls an armored dragon from head to toe with a Broadsword. "Rewind attacks." The dragon charges towards Chrona.

"No guard! Damage check, no trigger." The dragon sends Chrona back with a single hit of his sword.

"Boosted by Dran, Chronoethos attacks." Ethos leaps up into the air and dives straight for Chrona.

"No guard."

"Drive check…" Chrono unfortunately reveals a grade 2. "No trigger."

She hissed in pain as Ethos striked through. "No trigger."

"Turn end."

Turn ends with Chrona at two damage and the game still could go both ways. Chrona wasn't too surprised that he had played cards she has never seen before, him being from another world. More so, she was hoping that he would to see what his world would bring to the table. But it's time to show what her world of cardfighting can do!

"My turn, draw." She picks up the bound card. "During the ride phase when this card is in the bind zone, I can superior ride it. I ride Steam Maiden, Ahne!" [G: 2/ Pwr: 10000] She changed forms in to a girl white blouse and mechanical gauntlets. "When I ride her this way, I bind the top card of the deck." She binds a critical trigger.

"Gah, unlucky…" Kumi mumbled.

Chrona played no mind to it. "I call Steam Maiden, Ishme [G: 1/Pwr: 8000] and Steam Maiden, Lippitt [G: 2/Pwr: 10000]. I activate her skill, I draw one card and bind one card from my hand. Ishme's skill. Once per turn when a card is bound, I counterblast one, she gains 5000 pwr and I draw one card." She determinedly looks at Chrono. "Here I go! Ahne attacks the vanguard! Skill activated, I send a bound card to the drop zone and she gains 10000 pwr!" Chrona charges forward, ready to take a swindle at Chrono.

He looks over the cards in his hands. 'Tch, not worth it.'

"No guard."

"Drive check, critical trigger! Power to Lippitt, critical to my vanguard." She runs up to Ethos and punches him in the gut, sending a shockwave behind him. He doubles over from the punch and it's not long before Chrona punches him again, this time in the face, sending him crashing into a nearby column.

"Damage check, no trigger. Second check, draw trigger. Power to my vanguard, and I draw." Ethos power is now to 18000.

"I'm not done. With a boost from Ishme, Lippitt attacks! [Pwr: 33000] The purple haired girl takes aim at Ethos with her pistols while he is still trying to get up from the previous attack.

"I guard with Steam Maiden, Uluru. [Pwr:- 38000] Lippitt shoots at him, but before it hits, Uluru appears in a flash of light and puts up a barrier to block the attack.

"...turn end."

"What a great match so far," Kumi cheered.

Tokaha nodded in excitement. "Chrono keeps putting out cards I've never seen before, what else does he have?"

"Draw." Chrono barely played against a Gear Chronicle deck. There weren't any players that use the clan, mostly because the cards were so difficult to obtain and it would be extremely difficult to build a functional deck. He'd remember when Gear Chronicle players would come by the shop, he'd automatically challenge them into a fight. He was always so excited to play against something so new. So why doesn't he feel excited now?

A series of memories flash in his mind. They keep disappearing, one by one. He wants to stop it, but he can't. He's trapped in his own mind as someone else, something else, erases the people he cares about out of existence with the very thing he loves. Chrono shakes his head. 'No, don't think about that.'

"Ride." Ethos erupted in purple flames, slowly dissipating, revealing a mechanical money with purple flaming hair and green claws. "Chronoclaw Monkey Cor." He moves Armored Rewind Dragon back. "Calling Chronobeat Buffalo Cor. [G: 2/Pwr: 10000] and Relentless Steam Fighter, Amber [G: 2/Pwr: 10000] to rearguard. Amber's skill, counterblast, soulblast." A dark hole opened up under Ishme, swallowing her before closing. "To the bottom to the deck. And when a card is sent to the bottom of the deck in the same column as Chronobeat, he gains 5000 power." Chrona and Lippitt flinch as Chronobeat lets out a deafening roar.

"Not good…" Chrona mumbles.

"Amber attacks Lippitt." Amber charges towards and slashes through Lippitt, disappearing in particles of red light. "Chronoclaw attacks the vanguard."

"No guard."

"Drive check, heal trigger. Power to Chronobeat [Pwr: - 25000]." Chronoclaw pounces onto Chrona, driving down his claws into her.

She lets out a cry and she manages to push him off. "Damage check, critical trigger. Power to my vanguard." [Pwr 20000]

She doesn't get a chance to recover as Chronobeat suddenly towers over her. "Armor Dragon boosts, Chronobeat Buffalo Cor. attacks." [Pwr: 33000] Chronobeat lifts his fist into the air and takes aim towards Chrona before his fist was stopped by a blonde ponytail girl with gauntlets.

"Steam Maiden, Sadum, guard!" [Shld: 15000 - 35000]

"...Turn end."

"Come on Chrona, you can do this!" Kumi cheered.

"You got this," Tokoha agreed.

The two spectators one-sidedly cheered Chrona on, which Chrono admittedly was jealous of.

'Seriously, cut the guy some slack…'

The curly haired girl from across the table though, felt disappointed. Of course the fight was fun for her so far, he actually seems pretty strong, but why does he seem so uninterested. It's like he's not taking this seriously.

"Stand and draw." If that's the case, then she'll make him take it seriously! "Ride!" The temple was suddenly bathed in white light, making it almost impossible to see anything. Once the light diminished, another girl had taken Ahne's place. She had light brown hair with golden amber eyes. She wore a white mechanical dress and a silver masked that covered half of her face. Wing-like rays of purple energy sprouted from her back. "Elegant Steam Maiden, Elul [G: 3/Pwr: 13000]."

To Chrono's surprise, Chrona had pulled up a type of card he never seen before. "Imaginary Gift, Force I." She places it on her rearguard circle.

"Imaginary Gift…?" He mused. "What is that?" All the girls looked at him as if he said one of the stupidest things in the world.

"You don't know?" Tokoha flabbergasted. "It's a really common mechanic people use. Are you new? Because you don't play like you're new."

He scratches the back of his head. "Um, something like that…"

'His world must not have it.' Chrona surmised. "When a unit with Imaginary Gift is placed on the vanguard circle, the player receives a gift marker. There are three types of gift markers and the one I'm using is Force. I can place this circle on any vanguard or rearguard circle I want and the unit on the same circle gains an additional 10,000 power."

"I see, I think I get it now."

"Now, continuing with Elul's skill. I look at the top two cards of my deck, I choose one and bind it, the other is sent to the bottom of the deck. Then I superior call a bound card." She calls the card she just bound. "I call Steam Maiden, Balul [G 2/ Pwr 1000] to rear guard. She gains 5000 power, then another 5000 when called from the blind zone and 10000 from the Force marker. [- 30000] Now call."

She calls 3 unit to rear guard, leaving the circle behind Elul empty. 'Chrono has only 2 cards left in his hand and it's most likely a grade 3," she thinks to herself, 'he's at one damage, but if I play it right, I could end it this turn.' She looks into her supposed brother's eye. 'Sorry, I'm not letting you get to grade 3.'

"With a boost from Lasina-bel, Ahne attacks. Ahne's skill, send one card from the bind zone to drop zone, plus 10000 power [Pwr - 28000]. And when Lasina-bel boosts, send the top card to bind zone." Ahne leaps forward, causing a shockwave behind her.

Chrono was in trouble though, he doesn't have much to guard with. He only has this grade 2 to use. He'll have to hope for a trigger. "No guard." Ahne lands the punch, causing him to skid backwards.

He does a drive check. "No trigger."

"Latina skill, Timeleap Ahne and I superior call another Elul to rearguard. Ul-nin boosts, Balul attacks." Balul takes aim at the purple flaming money.

"No guard." Chrono lifts his arms to shield himself from the barrage of bullets from Balul. "No trigger." Chrono puts his arms down just as the attack finishes only to see Elul had vanished. He looks up to see she her elegantly flying in the air.

'Almost there…' Chrona thinks to herself. "Elegant Steam Maiden, Elul attacks the vanguard! [Pwr: 13000] Her skill, bind one rearguard and one card from the top of the deck, superior call one card from bind zone. I call Ahne." The machine gunner Balul had vanished and was replaced by the gauntlet welding girl. "Balul's skill, when she's bound, bind the top card of my deck." Her eyes glimmer as she finds the card she was looking for.

"No guard…"

Elul dives down towards Chrono, preparing her attack. "Twin drive, first check, no trigger. Second check, Critical trigger! Critical to my vanguard, power to my rearguard Elul." She brings her massive sword down on him, a cry of pain escaping Chrono's lips. Her doesn't let him rest as she swung her sword again across his chest. He stumbles backs.

Chrono knows he needs triggers right now, else it's over for him. "Damage check." He flips the card over to reveal a trigger. "Draw trigger, power to my vanguard, draw. Second check, heal trigger. I heal."

"Double trigger? Tch, I'm not done." Elul drives her sword into the ground, an intense aura forms around her. There's no doubt she's planning something big. "Activating skill, Soul Gift!"

"Soul Gift?" Chrono asks. There rest of the girls once again stares at him with disbelief, Chrona of the other hand was not surprised.

"Soul Gift is a skill that the starting vanguard has and is inherited from vanguard to vanguard. Kullasina skill let's me bind the top two cards of my deck and I can choose one card to call or superior ride."

Chrono remembers the card that she had bound before. If she does what he is thinking , this might end badly.

A beautiful mage with white hair descends onto the battlefield. "Superior ride, Steam Maiden, Ishuiil [G: 4/ Pwr: 15000]. Imaginary Gift, Force." She places it under her vanguard. "Of course, when I ride using this effect, I have to discard two cards and I can't activate this effect until the end of my next turn. But when she's placed as a vanguard by effect, counterblast 1 and I send two cards from bind zone to the drop zone, she gains +10000 power and a Critical."

A number of gears gathers behind the mage, preparing to fire off a massive spell. "Ishuiil attacks the vanguard!" [Pwr: 35000/ Crit: 2]

"Steam Maid, Uluru, guard." [Pwr: 30000- 5000] A shield appears in front of Uluru.

"Twin drive, first check, no trigger. Second Check, no trigger…" she dejectedly announces. A green flare erupts from the images gear wand, but the attack fails to go through and Uluru disappears.

"Ahne attacks, with her skill, +10000 power. [Pwr: 30000- 40000]"

"No guard." Chrono once again is slammed by the massive power of Ahne.

'Elul doesn't have enough power.' "I attack Buffalo." Chronobeat is impaled be Elul's sword and disappears. "I end my turn. Elul goes to the bottom of the deck, and Ishuiil goes to my hand." Chrona's eyebrows furrow. She was way too close to winning, why did he had to get those triggers there.

Tokoha and Kumi on the sidelines felt her frustration.

"Don't worry," Tokoha tries to cheer up her friend. "You'll get him next turn."

Chrona smiles. "Yeah, I will."

"Stand and draw." She quickly turns her attention back into the game as Chrono starts his turn.

'Next turn?' Chrono takes a card from his hand and raises it into the air. 'There won't be a next turn, I'm ending this now.'

"Ride." Chronoclaw begins to violently convulse, his armor slowly crumbling away. At the center of his chest, a hand with large claws erupts from it's chest and like a moth from its cocoon, a black sickly body climbs out of it. This body is far too large to be able to fit into Chronoclaw, but it does anyways. The creatures mouth is lined with jagged teeth carving that seems to form in a twisted smile. "Chronojet Dragon "Fall"." [G: 3/ Pwr: 13000]

The three girls couldn't help, but feel creeped out by this unit. It was only a card, but instinctively it made them feel fear.

"Stride Generation." A large dragon with cannons in place for his arms takes Chronojet's place "Interdimensional Dragon, Chaos Flare Dragon. [G:4/ Pwr: 28000] Stride skill, Chrono Dran and Ahne, to the bottom of the deck. Then I choose one card from your hand and call it to rearguard your rearguard." He points to a card and Chrona hesitantly calls out the trigger she had gotten earlier.

"Calling Sadum…" a gauntlet wearing girl appears on the field.

"Chrono Dran's skill, when he's sent to the bottom of the deck, I send the bottom card of the deck to the soul and I draw. Then I call, Ethos and Chronoclaw cor."

"Bring it!" Chrona readied herself for the upcoming onslaught.

"Supported by Ethos, Amber attacks the vanguard. [Pwr-18000]"

"Guard" As Amber's attack was about to hit, a gear sniper pops up to block the attack with her rifle and pushes him back.

"Ethos skill, I send Amber to the bottom of the deck and I draw. Amber's skill, went sent to the bottom of the deck, I sent the bottom card to soul and I superior call a grade 3 to rearguard." In a thunderous roar, a mechanical tiger crashes into the battlefield field. "Superior call Chronofang Tiger cor. When he's called, I send a rearguard of mine and yours to the bottom, you can't guard with grade 0s against his attack." A black hole appears beneath Ethos and Latina, swallowing the both of them. "Ethos's skill, send the bottom card into the soul, Chronofang gets plus 5000 power."

Chrono pauses for a bit and looks over to Chrona. Her has a furrowed brow, looking over the cards in her hand to see how she could guard against the next couple of attacks. 'She's kinda cute really,' he thinks to himself with a small smile.

Chrona breaks out of her thoughts and gives him a concerning look. "Hey what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong." It reminds him of how he always wanted a little sister growing up. He's getting everything he ever wanted and it's absolutely pissing him off. Why?

"Chaos Flare Dragon attacks the vanguard!"

Why did he get scott free while everyone else suffered for it?

"His skill activates, Paradox!" Everyone was caught off guard by his declaration. They never heard of it before.

"Paradox? What is that?" Tokaha asks him.

'So now she is now on the other foot, huh?' "I can activate Paradox after a certain number of cards are sent to the bottom of the deck this turn. Four cards were sent this turn, so I can activate Paradox 4 now?" He explained. He Paradox skill, soulblast 4, couterblast 1, I deal one damage to you."

"N-no way!" The dragon points his large cannons at Chrona and in a flash of purple light fire off. It hits her right on and she flies back. She crashes into the ground, tumbling for another few feet. "Damage check." Just something please! "No trigger…"

"Chaos Flare continues his attack." [Pwr: 28000] Chaos once again fires up his cannons.

Chrona in a panic puts out a card. Perfect guard with Steam Maiden, Sanilar!" A green haired girl with a large gear on her head appears in front of Chrona and puts out a gear looking glyph.

'A draw trigger sentinel? This world keeps surprising me.' Chrono muses. "Triple drive check. First check draw trigger, all effects to Chronofang. Second check, third check." He reveals a grade 3. "No trigger."

Chrona sighs in relief, she just might survive thi-

"Chaos Flare's second skill. Since I revealed a grade 3, I send one card from hand to the bottom of the deck, I get another drive check."

As sense of dread formed in Chrona's gut. Everyone waited breathlessly as Chrono flipped over his last card. "Critical trigger, all effects to Chronoclaw."

Chrona's back was suddenly up against wall. It was especially surprising since she had the advantage last turn. He seems so unfazed by everything. He's so strong. So terrifying strong.

"Chronoclaw Monkey attacks. Skill, send armor dragon to the bottom of the deck, he gains 10000 power. Armor dragon's skill, superior call the bottom card of the deck to rearguard." [Pwr: 20000- 30000] He places the rearguard behind Chronofang.

Chronoclaw leaps towards her, his claw at the ready, but was stopped by a shield "Ahne, Mara, guard!" [Shield: -33000]

"Armor Dragon boosts, Chronofang Tiger cor. attacks." [Pwr: -36,000 Flames fire out of his thrusters and propels himself towards her.

She looks at her cards one last time, seeing that she can't guard against it.

"No guard…" Chronofang brings down his giant claw onto her. She falls to the ground with a thud.

"Damage check…" She places the last card into her damage zone. "You win, Chrono."

He didn't really feel nothing from this win and he knows why. He doesn't enjoy Vanguard anymore. Its was erased when Gyze took over and now he feels nothing over the game.

"Yeah, it was fun," he said with a fake smile.

Tokoha and Kumi were so stunned by they had saw. They looked over to each other and nodded. They walked up to him and both cupped one of his hands, and his face turns red. His did not expect what would come next.

"Please join our club!" They pleaded in unison.

"…Huh?" Club?

"We're making club in our high and we figured you could join our club since you so strong!" Kumi beamed.

"Hold on," Chrono protested, "I'm not even going to any schools right now."

"Yeah, then you can go to our school, then you can join our club," Tokoha reasoned. "Its pretty close to you place anyways."

"...Well you're not wrong?"

The two girls look at him with puppy eyes. "So, will you go?"

He glances away to avoid their eyes. "I'll think of it…"

The two were disappointed to not get a straight response. "Well, anyways you playing against me next!" Tokoha declares pushing Chrona away from the table.

"Hey!" Chrona yelped.

"No fair!" Kumi protested. "I wanted to play him next!"

"Too late, I already called dibs." The three girls continued to quarrel.

Chrono let out a small chuckle seeing them, thinking back to the girls he used to know. "Fine, fine, I'll take you both on."

'Hm, they're getting along now,' Chrona hums to herself. She felt her phone go off just as the two were about to begin their match. "Chrono!" His hand paused before he could draw a card. "Mom's telling us we should go back home now. Like right now."

"Really?" Chrono was curious what was so important that their mom would want to see them immediately. It probably wouldn't be good.

"Oh come on, can't you wait like 20 minutes?!" Tokoha pleaded.

"Sorry Tokoha, it seems urgent."

Tokoha sighed disappointedly. She was looking forward to their match. "Fine," she turns to Chrono. "Next time, we'll have our match!"

"Me too!" Kumi cheered.

"Fine, fine." Suddenly it felt difficult for him to even look at them. Whenever he did, a heavy sense of guilt overwhelmed to the point to where it was too much. They're just way too similar to them.

He forced himself to look at them, just this once and he could leave. "It… it was nice seeing you again. Y-you know, not being all bloody I mean."

Tokoha laughed. "Likewise."

The group said goodbye to one another outside the mall. They walked their own separate ways, with Kumi and Tokoha waving goodbye until they're out of sight. Chrono softly sighed in relief being out of there.

"You're alright?" Chrona questioned him.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You seem… tense."

"Oh that," he replied, attempting to think of a reason. "I'm just thinking why mom wants us there is all."

"Really? I was thinking you're just shy with pretty girls," she smirked.

"H-hey!" His cheeks turned red.

She smiles. "Just kidding!" She stick her tongue out. "Just pay back from earlier."

He looked confusingly before he realized what she meant. "Touchè," he laughed.

Chrono suddenly bumped into someone. Turned to the person, seeing that it was a young blonde haired woman. She seemed like she was in her twenties with green eyes, who he admitted looked really pretty.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't see where I was going," he apologized to her."

"N-no it's fine, I wasn't either." They awkwardly walked away from each other. Unknowingly to him, the young woman gave him one last serious look at him before disappearing out of sight.

* * *

Tokoha was seriously annoyed. She sat in her homeroom classroom, fuming while everyone else conversed with one another before classes started.

It's been a little more than a week since she last seen that relative of Chrona (who oddly had similar names). Seriously, he promised he'd have a cardfight with her, so why hasn't she heard of him. She's been so hyped all week and she couldn't take it.

She buried her head in her arms, completely focused on her thoughts. Kumi just entered the classroom and tried to get her attention with no avail. She hadn't even noticed class started.

"Good morning class," the teacher began," before we began, I have an announcement. We'll be joined by a new student."

'Ugh, why hasn't he?' She was still stuck in her thoughts. 'Maybe he's busy or something. So why haven't I heard about him from Chrona either? She's been way too vague.'

"Please come in," the teacher signaled to student.

Kumi looked shocked. She tried to shake Tokoha out of her thoughts. "Tokoha, come on, look up."

"Ugh what?" She grumbled. She finally looked up to see what Kumi was making such a fuss about. She couldn't really blame her. Standing in front of the class was the swirly-curly haired boy she had met. He seem to have less bandages on his body and there were dark circles under his eyes, but it was him for sure.

"I'm Chrono Shindou, it's a pleasure to meet you."


	6. Chapter 6

Highschool Arc

* * *

_A week ago…_

_Chrono sat uncomfortably on the couch as this might be one of the most awkward moments of his life. He couldn't have anticipated that his dad was there waiting for him when he got home. Not only that, the detective, Kogami, from the hospital was waiting there too. Now they're sitting across from him staring, waiting to question. Chrona and Tokimi were sitting on the side, watching them._

_"So, you say that you're from another world," Rive spoke up. "And that you're…" He bashfully cleared his throat. "...That you're my son."_

_Chrono's eye immediately landed on his mother who simply smiled at him. He slowly looked back to his dad. "Yeah, that's right."_

_Rive shifted in his seat. "Hm, seeing those two pictures, it makes it hard to deny that there's truth to it."_

_"Hmmm," the detective hummed. "Still, a person from another world? It sounds incredibly ridiculous. How did you even get here?"_

_"I don't really know," he answered honestly, "there was a flash of light and I was just… here."_

_Kogami was unsatisfied with that answer. He was about to ask another question when Rive stopped him. "You know Yoshio, you don't need to be in detective mode all the time."_

_"B-but sensei!-"_

_"I believe him, it doesn't seem like he's lying. But I also trust in my wife's judgement." Tokimi slightly blushed at that remark._

_Kogami was defiant, but quickly gave up. "...Okay fine, I'll respect your wishes." He sank back into his chair disappointed._

_"But there's still the thing you 43 staying. Not that I have a problem with it, I was just… surprised."_

_'That's probably an understatement,' Chrono thought. "I'll try to keep to myself, I don't really want to be a bother."_

_"Now hold a sec," Tokimi interjected, "I don't want to hear that. We'll be happy to have you here. I bet even Chrona is thrilled."_

_Chrona flinched slightly as the attention was now shifted to her. "I-I'm just okay with it, really. Don't exaggerate it."_

_Rive laughed seeing Chrona so nervous. "It seems like she already has taken a liking to him."_

_Her face flushed a bit. "Well he is technically my brother," she pouted._

_"My my~ Chrona is such a tsundere~," Tokimi tease her._

_"Shut it!"_

_Chrono was amused by the family's hijinks. 'They're good people,'he thought to himself, "I don't want to be a burden on them.' Not like he did with Mikuru._

_"Chrono," Rive said as he 34443th 433to him. "I heard your a cardfighter."33_

_"Ah yes, I am," he answered, curious._

_"Well then, you wouldn't mind having a cardfight with me."_

* * *

Chrono sat on the roof of the school eating his lunch while flipping through articles on his phone. One thing he quickly learned being in this world is that he actually doesn't know much about it. With hichrome 43r still being alive and him not existing, he should learn as much as possible.

There were a couple differences that he could tell. There are some different world leaders, some celebrities died and new ones he didn't recognized, Et cetera, Et cetera. Then he started looking into the people he knows. The clan leader system is still around in this world, Mamoru still acting as the Kagero clan leader, though it looks like Kazaki isn't one. Weirdly, he couldn't find any information on Ibuki as much as he tried and when he tried to look up Q4, Kai is the only one that he could find (still a professional cardfighter). Nothing on Kamui, Misaki, and Aichi.

The most shocking things he found out though was that Shion's dad had passed away about a month ago, it seems that he died of a heart attack. Unfortunately, it looks like Shion doesn't have control over the Kiba corporation at all. Of course, Chrono felt awful hearing the news. He wants to help him, be there for him when he needs it, but he doesn't know exactly how to. What's he going to do? Chrono's a complete stranger to him, doubt Shion wants to be bothered by him, especially now.

Then Chrono remembers when he first came here, Shion standing over him worried. He let out a long, frustrated sigh.

_'Shion, where are you now?'_

He heard a door open. He peeked over to see who it was, still hidden by a wall. It was a pink haired girl wearing a school uniform. Even though he couldn't see her face, she still seems really familiar to him. She's looking around the roof like she's for something or someone.

"Hm, I wonder where he is…" the pink haired girl hummed.

Chrono eyes bulged. 'Wait, that voice. Is she…?' She then turned towards his direction. He panicked, unsure what to do until it was too late.

Luna came around the corner and looked completely terrified of him. "Gah! I-I-I- Sorry! I didn't mean to bother you!" She stuttered. She bowed and ran out the door. Chrono was left flabbergasted.

"What the hell just happened?" He wondered. Why was she so scared of him? More importantly, why is she here?! Now that he thinks about it, he hasn't seen anything about Rummy Labyrinth other than Am, still being an idol. Is Luna a normal girl in this world?

"Agh! What's happening here?" Chrono is starting to get a migraine. Too many people missing, so many differences.

He suddenly felt his phone go off. Weird, he just barely got this phone. He quickly went to check he it was.

**?: "Hey, this is Tokoha. Where the hell are u? Me and Kumi been looking for u"**

Tokoha? How did she get this phone num- Oh, Chrona. Oh course she did.

**Chrono: "Sorry, I was looking around."**

**Tokoha: "whatever class is gonna start soon, let's just meet up after school"**

**Chrono: "sure, see you"**

He hung his head. This will be a pain in the ass to deal with.

Today was a long and difficult day for Chrono. After missing months of schools, he has a lot of material to catch up on. Not only that, he has a hard time fitting into class. The other students been giving him weird looks and glances all day, no one would want to talk to him. Not too surprising considering all the bandages he's covered with makes him looks like a delinquent, maybe that's why Luna run away from me. He just wants to go straight home, but he doesn't want to bail on the girls after they ask him to meet up. Guess he'll have to bear with it. Still, it's nice to see them, no matter how much it still hurts him at the same time.

"Chrono!" Kumi waved as she saw him in the hallways.

"Hey you two," he greeted them. Kumi was cheery as always. Tokoha on the other hand stare daggers at him, probably still mad at him ghosting on them.

"Hey… So are you gonna run off again?" Tokoha grumbled as she continued to glare at him.

"I'm not, I'm not, jeez," He waves his apologetically. "What do you want to do anyways?"

"Well, how about a tour around school? Since you're new and all," Kumi suggests.

"Eeerr, I don't think that's reall-" Before he could finish, Tokoha interrupts.

"Yeah, that'd be great! We could also show him our usual spot we go to." Chrono didn't have a chance to interject as the two girls swiftly whisk him away.

They pulled him from place to place, showing him the different parts of the school. He didn't pay much attention though since he already knew all of it.

"This is the cafeteria," Tokoha explained as Kumi nibbles on a melon bread she got from the vending machines.

_'Yeah, I hate the food here,'_ he thought with distaste. _'They can't cook for shit.'_

"We usually eat riiiight over there," she pointed smiling. "See right there, that place, for the next time you suddenly have the urge to ditch us again."

"You're still pissed about that?" He sighed.

* * *

"This here are the changing rooms for P.E." Tokoha points to the building.

"Don't get any naughty ideas while we're changing~" Kumi jokes as the two girls pretend to be bashful.

The swirly redhead deadpanned. "Don't flatter yourselves." He immediately offered the girls. Didn't last so long as he was and 4inches 34suddenly struck in the head with a soccer ball and then dropped straight to the ground with an audible thump. "Damn my luck…"

The girls bent down to the poor, pain induced boy. "Oh, over there is the soccer field. You should be careful though, never know when a ball might be flying out of there," Tokoha added.

"Okay that's nice and all, but why aren't you helping me?" Chrono growled in frustration.

"Because you deserved it,' Kumi cheerfully retorted.

"I clearly did not!"

* * *

Some time has passed and the group have already gone through most of the school. Now walking down the halles halls of the school, it seemed that there is still someplace they wanted to show him. Considering that, Chrono found it weird that Tokoha and Kumi wanted to show him one more place.

Tokoha, where are we going? I think you "already showed me most of the school," he asked while holding an ice bag to his head.

"We'll get to it when we get to it," she replied. "We're almost there, just wait a moment." She looked overly happy to the point where she looked like she was skipping.

Chronp's patience was running thin. He was exhausted at this point and to add to that, in pain. What is it that would make her this excited?

Already bored, his eyes began to wonder till they landed on a certain pink haired girl outside, Luna. She was still looking around the school like she had been up in the roof with a sad, worried look in her eyes.

_'What is up with you, Luna?'_ He thought worriedly for the girl.

"Hey Chrono, what's wrong?" Kumi called out for him. He was so absorbed about what was wrong with Luna that he didn't notice he stopped following the two. Realizing this, he quickly ran up to them.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just… thinking about something."

"Hm, well whatever," Tokoha quickly dismissed it, "we're here anyways."

There they stood in front of an old classroom that Chrono quickly remembered. It was a small science classroom that the school hardly ever used since there was very little students for it. Delinquents often use it to ditch class or sometimes use it as a place to smoke cigarettes. Why did Tokoha and Kumi being him here?

"So this is the place, our unofficial clubroom," Tokoha smirk as she showed off. "It wasn't easy, but we managed to get to use it until we fully form the club, then it'll be officially ours."

"You don't say…" He did remember that they were forming a cardfight club and this must be it.

Tokoha peeked inside the small window of the door. "Oh it looks like one of our club members arrived already."

She opened the door and inside was a tall Male figure. He turns to the group with a huge smile. He was wearing a school uniform, with blonde hair and blue eyes. One of things that stood out from him the most was a green streak in his hair.

"Oh hey you two, I-" He noticed the new boy standing next to his friends and gave a puzzled look. "Wait, who's the new guy?"

"He's the new guy we told you about before," Tokoha explained to him. "Chrono, he's an old friend of ours we'd like you to meet."

The blonde haired boy put out his hands for a handshake. "Hi, it's nice to meet you. My name is Miguel Torres."

* * *

**Hello! We are now in the Highschool arc! It should take up about half of the remaining story, then after that like 1 or 2 more arcs before the story ends. I'll do one more chapter of this, then I'll probably do a one shot I've been thinking of doing. then I'll switch of over to my other story do start the Miyaji Academy Festival Arc where I plan for the plot to really pick up. Well until then, thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

_This is Miguel…?_

Chrono was now standing in front of the blonde haired boy in complete shock. Not really shocked that Miguel is alive, no. With his mother here in this world, it really would be possible. It's that fact that he was actually here in this school, out of all places, was what shocked him. Its his first time meeting him too. All he knew from this person was what others told him.

_So this is the person that made Tokoha want to leave Paris and participate in the U20..._

Chrono eyed Miguel curiously like a cat staring at a complete stranger.

_What does she see in him?_

"It's nice to meet you Chrono," the boy in question greets him.

"Yeah, me too." He took a look around the classroom. It looked a bit worn down and dusty. The paint on the walls looks like it's peeling off and faded in some places. The desks and chairs in the room look very outdated compared to other classes. Even the computer in the class looks like an antique. _They should really renovate this room, seriously._

"Um, sorry about the mess here," Tokoha meekly rubbed the back of her head. "We just barely got the clubroom, I'll have it cleaned up right away."

He shook his head. "It's fine."

"So, you must be the cardfighter that Tokoha was talking about," Miguel beamed.

"Hm? She did?," he asked, interested. Tokoha seemed a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah, the Gear Chronicle player that beat Chrona! You must be a really skilled cardfighter to do that!" Miguel sounded like he was fanboying. "I also heard that you have a really unique deck, I was wondering if I could see it."

"Uh, yeah sure." He pulled out his cards and handed them to him.

"Thanks!" He immediately began looking through the deck as the two girls gathered beside him to get a good look as well. "They all have really interesting skills, but they kinda seem a bit… sinister in a way, no offense."

He stopped at a certain card depicting a black dragon, Chronojet Dragon "Fall". A simple glance at the card gave the group chill, not because of how it looked, the card itself gave off such a terrifying aura.

"This is my second time seeing it, but that card still seems pretty creepy," Kumi confessed, Tokoha nodding in agreement.

"Come on girls, it's not that bad," Miguel defended. "Maybe, um…" He lifted the card in the air and tried to look at it in different angles. "Right here? No… Maybe… Eh, yeah, it's pretty creepy." He gave up.

"He wasn't always like that…" He muttered, it was almost inaudible.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Tokoha's interests peaked.

"It's nothing." He took back his deck, leaving the group feeling like they said something wrong. "I'm going home, it's really been a long day."

Tokoha was taken aback. "Wait, you don't even want a cardfight?!"

"Yeah, sorry. We can play some other time." He started heading towards the door till he felt Tokoha's hand stopping him.

"Wait! What about the club? Ain't you going to join it?" She pleaded. Chrono stared back at her while she stared back while desperate puppy eyes.

_God, while does she have to make it so difficult. _"I'm not joining it."

"Huh?" She was completely flabbergasted, as well as the others in the room. "Er, what? How come? I need you! We need 2 more members in order to make the club official. With you, I'll just need 1 more!"

"Come on Chrono, don't be like that," Kumi pleaded.

"Sorry, I just don't want to join a club right now. And to be honest, you don't even need me. I'm sure that you'll find some other people." He made his way out the door and into the hallway.

A few seconds later, Tokoha ran out and stopped in front of the doorway absolutely infuriated. "What do you mean 'we don't need you'?! Chrono!"

She shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears. She watched him till he turns into the corner, now completely out of sight and completely out of reach. She let out a frustrated groan seeing as things didn't go as well as she thought it would. And here she was, excited for someone like him to join the club.

_Ugh, why do I have to deal with a boy as infuriating as him?!_

"Aw, that's too bad," Miguel disappointedly said, both him and Kumi poking their heads out the door, "it would have been great to have him in the club."

"Don't be at mad at him, it's okay," Kumi crooned to Tokoha, attempting to calm her down. "Its not like it he said he would join."

"Tch. I know," she spat, "that guy just pisses me off."

* * *

A dark cloud hung over Chrono as he was walking from school. He felt bad for leaving them like that. He lied to them, but it's for the better that he keeps himself away from them. Look at the ones that he met before...

As Chrono walked, a small rubber ball slowly rolled in front of him. Unfortunately, he didn't notice it till he slipped on it, sending him down a flight of stone stairs. He tumbled down, then landing on his back in a loud thump. Pain erupted from his recovering injuries with a few new ones, instantly regretting everything in his life.

_Ow! Damn kids, leaving their crap around… _

He slowly stood up, attempting to ignore the soreness from his body. He looked to his surroundings and found himself at the park. He was surprised, he was too deep in thought to notice he had already passed the street he was supposed to turn at. He was just walking aimlessly, but he's not too far from home. He sighed.

_Just perfect…_

He should just walk straight home now, wind down and maybe just take a nap, he's not getting much sleep. He would, but he had heard something that made him pause. He couldn't quite make it out.

Curiously, he began walking towards the source of the sound. As he did, the sound became more and more clearer. It sounded like sobbing. It was coming from behind the park's gardening shed. Despite telling himself not too, his curiosity got the better of him. He took a peek around the corner to see the pink hair girl in his school's uniform, Luna.

_Luna's the one crying? What's going on with her…?_

"Hey," he tried to say as softly as possible to not scare the poor girl. Though that went to vain as Luna looked up and recoiled from the sight of him.

"Eep!" She panics and immediately runs away. Chrono couldn't believe it, one look and she's running for the hills. What made her so damn afraid of him?!

"Eh? Oi!" He angrily began running after her. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Luna takes a look behind and sees what looks to her a demon with red fiery eyes from hell chasing her. "Gaaaaahh! Get away from me!"

They were running for a couple minutes until the both of them were completely exhausted. Both were panting and catching their backs. Luna was leaning on a tree while Chrono had his hands on his knees.

Luna had given up on running away from the curly haired boy. He is way too persistent so it's pretty much futile. Chrono, seemingly recovered, walked up to her in determination and was now standing in front of her. It felt like he was towering over her, causing a deep fear in her.

"W-what do you want?" Luna stammered, "why did you run after me?"

He was about to answer, but he paused in thought. "Actually I don't know why…" he admitted.

"...huh?"

"I wasn't really thinking, so I don't know what to do next now that I'm here…." He blushed out of embarrassment.

Luna couldn't believe, the boy is really that dumb. "Is that all? Really?"

"Look, I just saw you crying and I wanted to see what was wrong, honest. But then you just started running out of nowhere."

Luna felt guilt stab her in the gut. He was concerned for her, but she was so rude to him. This boy doesn't seem so bad. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't- I mean, I was just hearing from other students that you were a nasty delinquent and I got scared when I saw you."

_Those stupid students... _"Seriously? I just barely started living in this city a little over a week ago! How could anyone say that I'm a delinquent?!"

She looked down to her feet, ashamed of believing such lies. "I'm sorry…"

Chrono quickly picked on Luna's guilt. She looks like she feels guilty but she shouldn't really feel so bad about it. "R-really, it's fine," he assured her, "it's just a little frustrating with all these rumors about me floating around."

"It's unfair though, people are so mean…"

"Yeah, I guess." The two fell into an awkward silence, both not knowing how to continue the conversation.

_This is way too awkward._

"Um, I don't know if you want to answer, but what were you crying about?" He asks.

She dejectedly looks away from him. "I don't want to talk about that..."

"I see… Well are you going to be fine?"

"I guess so, I feel much better at least after being chased after," she deadpans.

"Ah! I'm-"

"Hehe, I'm joking!" She teases. Luna smiles brightly at Chrono, so brightly that he forgot how depressed he was feeling before. That was when he realized how late it was getting.

_Crap, I need to get going._

"I really need to get going, I need to get home. It was nice to meet you," he starts walking away in a hurry, but as he does, he hears Luna call out for him.

"Wait a second, what's your name?!" She yells.

He hesitated for a moment, unsure if it would be a good idea. But at this point, what harm can it do. "It Chrono Shindou."

"My is Luna Yumizuki," she replied back.

"It's nice to meet you Luna."

_Even though I already meet you before._

"Likewise, I guess I'll see you around," she smiles.

"Yeah…"

The two went their separate ways.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Chrono came back home. His body aching since he stupidly chased after Luna. She seems alright now, at least as much as he can tell. She'll probably start looking for him at school now that she isn't afraid of him anymore, though he feels like he should keep his distance away from his past friends.

He entered the house and breathed a long sigh.

_But I really can't help can I. _

"Chrono?" He heard, turning to see his sister with a angry look on her face. She is wearing the purple school uniform from his old middle school.

_What got her pissed off?_

"What's up Chrona, what's wrong? You seem mad." He asks cautiously.

"Yeah with you!" She grabs and tugs on Chrono's swirl, causing him a sharp pain that radiated through out his body.

_Oh no, the swirl! My only weakness!_

"Owowowow! Knock it off, are you trying to leave me bald!" She grumpily lets go. As soon as she does, he rubs his head attempting to soothe the aching pain with tears in his eyes.

"You were really rude to my friends today after I tried really hard to make you friends with them too. What's wrong with you?!"

_Damn it, they told her. _"I wasn't trying to be rude, honest! It's not my fault one of your friends has a short temper."

Chrona deadpanned. "If Tokoha heard you right now, she would have smacked you."

Chrono rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I'm going to my room. I need to catch up on some material for school." He starts making his way up the stairs of the house.

"Hey, at least listen for a bit." He stops mid way and turns back to her. "Please try and get along with them, they're really good people." Chrona was sincere. He doesn't have a lot of people in this world that care for him. At the very least, he should have some friends until he's able to get back home.

"You don't need to tell me that, I did tell you I knew them before," he reminded her, "...Look, I'll try to get along with them more alright. You don't need to worry."

"You promised?" She had a hopeful look on her face, which Chrono found it to be really adorable.

"Yeah yeah, for my little sis…" Damn it, he can't let her down now.

"Good!" She cheers.

A second later, Tokimi's head popped out of the doorway. "Hey everyone! I see that you're back, Chrono."

"Oh hi mom." He waves to her.

She waves back to him. "How was school?"

"Nothing much, I just have a lot of catch up to do," he groaned. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

Tokimi giggled at Chrono's suffering, it must really be a lot. "Sure. Dinner will be ready soon, I'll call you down when it's done."

Once they were done talking, Chrono went straight to his room. His exhaustion from school, dealing with the club, chasing after Luna, the amount of injuries he got today, and the lack of sleep was all building up and he has no more energy left. He still has homework to do too, such bad luck... He then dropped his bag on the chair and crashed face first into his bed.

_What an exhausting, long day..._

* * *

**Hi there, I hope you enjoy the chapter. I really should make them a bit longer at least but I always get writers block when writing and it takes me much longer than it should T-T The next story I'll be putting out will be much more different than what I've been writing, it should be fun. And yeah, it'll have the G characters.**


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